Longfellow Elementary, Milwaukee WI

Original Research by School Decision on Longfellow Elementary

Longfellow Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in Milwaukee. It is a regular public school, not a charter, and sits within the Milwaukee School District, the state's largest system. The school is located on Milwaukee's near south side, an area of the city shaped by successive waves of settlement and characterized by its mix of older residential blocks, small commercial corridors, and industrial remnants near the confluence of the Menomonee and Kinnickinnic rivers.

The student body is predominantly Hispanic, which reflects the surrounding neighborhood, with a smaller but present Black student population and very small numbers of white, Asian, multiracial, and other groups. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of the economic realities many families in this part of the city navigate. Data on the share of students with disabilities or classified as English learners was not available, which is a gap a parent may want to explore directly with the school.

Longfellow covers the full pre-K-through-8 span, a structure that allows students to remain in one building through the middle grades. Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. State testing results from the Wisconsin Forward exam, covering grades 3 through 8, show proficiency rates that are substantially below state averages across math, English language arts, and science. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or advanced declines from the early grades into the upper elementary and middle school years, with a small rise in sixth grade. English language arts proficiency is higher than math at most grade levels but still well below statewide norms. Science proficiency rates are similarly low in both tested grades. Social studies, tested in grades 4 and 8, is a relative bright spot: about a third of students scored proficient, a notably higher rate than in the other subjects. When measured against other districts in Milwaukee County using an overall proficiency index that averages all tested subjects and grades, Longfellow's performance falls in the bottom quartile.

The building itself is part of a district undergoing significant change. Voters recently approved a sizable referendum to fund accessibility projects in aging school buildings, signaling a long-term investment in physical infrastructure. At the same time, the district faces a projected budget deficit tied to declining enrollment and the end of federal pandemic relief funds, which has led to consideration of program and staffing cuts. Milwaukee Public Schools is also implementing a facilities plan that may lead to school closures or consolidations in the coming years as it adjusts to lower overall enrollment. These district-level dynamics are relevant to any family considering this school, as they could affect program offerings, building conditions, and school assignments over time.

Milwaukee itself is the state's largest city, a Great Lakes port and manufacturing hub that has seen population decline at every census count even as its downtown and riverfront areas have seen redevelopment. The economy is anchored by several Fortune 500 headquarters and major healthcare and financial sectors. The school's near south side location places it in a part of the city with a dense, walkable street grid and close proximity to the downtown core, though many outlying neighborhoods are more car-dependent.

For a family considering Longfellow, the picture is straightforward. The school serves a high-needs population in a district facing both infrastructure investment and budget pressures. Academic attainment, as measured by state assessments, is low relative to other schools in Milwaukee County, with the notable exception of social studies in the middle grades. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what supports are in place for students performing below grade level and what programs or enrichment exist within a pre-K-through-8 setting.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 316%

School 16% · District 24% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 41 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 48%

School 8% · District 19% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 46 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 52%

School 2% · District 18% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 49 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 613%

School 13% · District 18% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 40 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 77%

School 7% · District 22% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 47 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 89%

School 9% · District 19% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 42 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 315%

School 15% · District 22% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 38 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 414%

School 14% · District 22% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 38 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 510%

School 10% · District 21% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 40 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 627%

School 27% · District 24% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 719%

School 19% · District 28% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 821%

School 21% · District 29% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Science

Grade 412%

School 12% · District 20% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 39 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 814%

School 14% · District 22% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 32%

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 833%

School 33% · District 36% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

This schoolMilwaukee School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income12%Higher-income0%12 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income2%Higher-income0%2 pp gap